West Jordan soldier found dead at N.C. military base

By McKenzie Romero
and Devon Dolan , Deseret News

Published: Wednesday, May 1 2013 9:25 p.m. MDT

Spc. David Gannon, 34, of West Jordan, a grenadier with the Army's 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was found unresponsive Saturday night in his room in Fort Bragg, N.C. Gannon was later pronounced dead, and the cause remains under investigation. Family members were informed the death was not self-inflicted. (U.S. Army photo)

WEST JORDAN — Military officials are investigating the death of a soldier from West Jordan found dead in his barracks Saturday, while his parents in Utah struggle to believe their son will never come home.

They know little about how their son died, and talk about it even less, choosing instead to remember the unfailing love he had for his family and his country.

Spc. David Gannon, 34, a grenadier with the Army's 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was found unresponsive Saturday night in his room in Fort Bragg, N.C. Gannon was later pronounced dead, and the cause remains under investigation. Family members were informed the death was not self-inflicted.

His body will be brought to Utah on Friday by military escort, and full military honors will be provided at his burial, his father said.

Gannon's parents, Mike and Pat Gannon, were attending church Sunday when their daughter came to find them, informing them that two military representatives were waiting at their home. The Army chaplain and another soldier gave heartfelt condolences for David Gannon's death, but didn't have many answers.

"It was heard to breathe, hard to think, hard to consider that what they were telling us was the truth because we had just spoken to him a few days ago," Mike Gannon said. "We had planned a little vacation here in a couple of months, and we thought everything was, you know, in order."

David Gannon enlisted later in life, joining the Army in February 2011, and was was proud to finally be a soldier, his parents said. He completed a five-month tour in Afghanistan in 2012 and was preparing for a second deployment.

"He did believe in what he was doing in Afghanistan," Mike Gannon said, noting that his son always felt protective of the children he met. "He was there at a time when there wasn't a lot of fighting or a lot of shooting. They were more on patrols to find ammunition and weapons, and secure villages."

After his death, David Gannon was awarded the the Army Commendation Medal with an oak leaf cluster and the Army Good Conduct Medal.

Pat Gannon reminisced how her son, born on Feb. 14, was her Valentine. Growing up, he was a smart and independent student, an upbeat friend and loved spending time with his siblings and cousins.

She has been saving a voice mail her son left on her birthday in March, just to hear his sincere words of love and gratitude. It means even more now, she said.

David Gannon was unfailingly kind, his father said, ending every conversation the two had with, "I love you, Dad," including their last.